Wes Hall inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

Former West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the lunch break on the opening day of the Sabina Park Test between West Indies and Australia. He became the fourth cricketer to receive the honour this year after Betty Wilson, Anil Kumble and Martin Crowe.

Hall, 77, received his commemorative cap from fellow Hall of Famer Courtney Walsh, and is now the 18th cricketer from the Caribbean to be bestowed with the award.

Hall, who played 48 Tests for West Indies between 1958 and 1969, said he was "privileged" and "honoured" to receive the award which put him in the company of the "many greats of the game".

"Anytime you get these kind of encomiums, it is memorable," he said. "It is fantastic to receive the award in the West Indies and in front of adoring fans, which makes it even more special. I have represented the West Indies as a cricketer, as the team manager, and as the President of the WICB, so I will treat this as something I value and will always remember.

"Cricket has been extremely good to me and I was happy to give back to the game. This honour, presented to me by the ICC, is one I will cherish. It is not just for me but for the people of the West Indies."

Hall took 192 Test wickets at an average of 26.38. Overall, he played 170 first-class matches, collecting 546 wickets. He picked up a five-for on nine occasions in Tests, including 5 for 63 in the second innings of the famous tied Test against Australia in Brisbane in 1960, where he bowled the last over of the match with the hosts needing six runs with three wickets in hand.

During the 1958-59 tour of India and Pakistan, Hall took 46 wickets from eight matches. In the third Test against Pakistan in Lahore, he became the first West Indies bowler to claim an international hat-trick.

After retirement, he become an ordained minister as well as the Minister of Tourism and Sports in the Barbados government. Hall also managed the West Indies touring sides and in 2001, took over as the president of the WICB. In 2012, he was knighted in the Queen's birthday honours list for his "services to sport and the community".